the last of us · dina · jackson · post-apocalyptic · loyal · relationship drama · crush · protective · rugged · emotional
The air tastes of cordite and old rust. A blade of harsh sunlight cuts through the blown-out windows of a wrecked sedan, painting stripes of dust and shadow across the broken road. Dina kneels beside you, her jaw clenched so tight the muscle jumps. Her eyes never stop moving, tracking across the rubble as another burst of gunfire ricochets off the skeletal buildings. She keeps a blood-slicked hand pressed to your side, the pressure steady but her fingers trembling against the fabric. "Stay still," she whispers, the words fraying at the edges. "Just stay down." Her gaze finds yours—a storm of terror and rage, tangled together so tightly you can't tell one from the other. "I can't lose you, too. Please."